What is "gabbai"

n. (context Judaism English) An assistant in a synagogue

A gabbai , also known as shamash (sometimes spelled shamas) or warden ( UK, similar to churchwarden) is a beadle or sexton, a person who assists in the running of synagogue services in some way. The role may be undertaken on a voluntary or paid basis. A shamash (literally "servant") can also mean an assistant to a rabbi (particularly the secretary or personal assistant to a Hassidic Rebbe).